Bran-buster



LFAGiN. Flour Bolting and Bran Dusting Machine.

Patented Feb. 17, 1852.-

No. 8,738'l i NNuN w W P UNITED sTATEs ;PATENT OFFICE.

`LnwIs FAGIN, or orNoiNNATI,` oHIo.

BRAN-DUSTER.

Specificaton of Letters Patent No. 8,738, dated February 17, 1852.

To aZZ 'whom it may concern V Be it known that I, LEWIS FAGIN, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invent-` ecl new and useful Improvements in Flour- Bolting and Bran-Dusting Machines and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, ref-` erence being had `to the annexed drawings, made part of this specification, in which drawingsj Figure 1 is a central `and Vertical section in perspective of the machine without the blast cylinder; Fig. 2 is a Vertical fracture of `a portion of the blast-cylinder also in perspective; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same accompanied with a diagram in dotted lines, showing the plan of the arrangement of the vanes; Fig. 4 is a semi plan or horizontal view of one half the machine, the

section thereof being taken at the height of i the line A, B, of Fig. V5, which` is a central i and Vertical section of the `machine'in the line C, D, of Fig. 4; the section being broken olf about the height of the line E,F, where l it passes through the casing and boltingcylinder in Fig. 1. `A diagram is given in Fig.` 6 by which the vanes may be accurately 1 Referring persons interested in milling to Lewis Fagin7s improvements in `flouring mill, patented in October 1849 and also to Lewis F aginls and Henry C. Hayman's joint improvements in atmospheric bolts patented in April 1851 as introductory to the following; this invention takes its Origin in the practical difiiculty experienced in keeping the 3 blast-cylinder, as described in' the last citedj patent, properly balanced so as to remain trueand in good running order.

In all flouring millsthere is always more or less flour dust pervading its atmosphere especially wwhilethe bolting process is in` operation. This dust is inevitably sucked into the blast-cylinder and hangs on its interior surfaces. If it couldbe equally distributed there would be no danger consequent upon `Operating the bolting-machine.

But it is unequally distributed and for the season that it is impossible to construct a blastcylinder, such as is described in said Fagin and Haymalfs patent, or anywhere else,

`with interior surfaces so smooth, true and perfect that the dust sucked in can be equally distributed thereon, it being well known that fiour in rotary motion under the pressure of a blast will pack itself into every dicular surface, be it planed ever so smooth. i

It being impossible to construct a blast cylinder with the interior cylindrical surfaces interiorly so as to be perfectly true, theresult is that the atmosphere bolting process causes more fiour to be packed at one side of the cylinder than at the opposite side, consequently an unequal strain is put upon the journals of the shaft or the center of motion and centrifugal action gives 1 the superloaded part a preponderance overithe opposite part of the cylinder, the result'is the step and toe of the shaft heat, cut and give rise to a constantly changing center of motion. This change further results in bringing the blast and bolting cylinders into contact (as at most they are only from to l` inch apart) and the' entire destruction ofthe machine is efiiected in a Very short time. This state of things I prevent by so i constructing the blast cylinder that it freely discharges both the air and the dust it sucks 1n; so that when set to run true it will remainso, whether at rest or in operation. I f

effect this by using two vanes for each blast issue, the inner edges of the adjacent vanes of any two issues being joined at an angle and at such a distance from the axis of the cylinder as will cause the sharp edge therebywformed to split the blast, instead of allowing it to impinge on the untrue inside cylindrical surface of the blast-cylinder as made by said F agin and Hayman; and the surfaces of' the vanes being alsolocated in planes least liable to collect or retain dust, the cylinder being thereby free to discharge whatever gaseous or pulverized matter is sucked in during its rapid revolution.

Inlaying ofi' the issues for the blast I assume any desired draft asifI were about to dress a mill-stone. I then divide this draft circle or eye of the cylinder (in millers, language) into eight quartes or so more or less. On these eight points I erect twosquares circumscribed by the draft `Circle, the sides of which squares produced (to the right or left according as the cylinder is to runlwith or against the sun) until they reach the periphery of the blast cylinder, determine and are the line of erection for one set of Vfies, marked (No. 1.) in Figs. 2 and 3.-t en starting at a point one fourth of an inch'in advance of each of these vanes at the verge of the cylinder I project lines till they meet the points of division' ment be compact and within small limits.

would be sufl'ered through the air-leakages,

next in advance in the draft-circle, and

ved through an ordinary spout or other con- 1 condition as possible and thereby allow the :immediate connection with the bolting maerecting a set of additional vanes marked (No. 2) in Figs. 2 and 3 on these lines, it is obvious that both sets of vanes reciprocally meet each other at the draft circle and present lstly a sharp edge to the issuing blast, and ndly surfaces in a plane least calculated to hold the driving dust. The angular spaces on the outside and 'between the vanes may be closed` up to the full cylindrical form.

The bolting surfaces I have found it best to arrange into twelve divisions 01' thereabouts. The Vertical ribs forming the framework thus aiford me the bases on which` to fasten Vertical rows of beaters, which combined in their action with the Vertical rows of beaters on .the blast cylinder and the grated sheathing necessary to protect the edges of the additional vanes (No. 2) thoroughly thresh the oi'al throughout its entire descent between the blast and bolting cylinders.

`Another desirable object to attain, is to discharge the blast freely and yet combine this feature with such an arrangement of chambers for catching and retaining that portion of the fioating fiour-dust carried along with the blast that it may be settled and returned and carried away by the ordinary scraper, and yet the whole arrange- This obj ect must be attained as much as may be previous to the passage of the blast from the bolting machines which blast is conductz veyance to the hopper-boy room, which is a fi'our to settle. Now it is a well-known feature in every flouring mill. If this object' was not attained, too much fiour would pass 1 with lthe blast to the hopper-boy room and thus a greater loss (than now sustained) which must be left in the hopper-boy room, as it is obvious that nearly as much air must leak out of that room as enters the blastcylinder. The hopper-boy room is intended to admit of great expansion to the air driven into it and to reduce it to as quiet or' calm a ffour to settle. Now it is a well-known feature in newly ground wheat, that the flour adheres with great tenacity or is Very sticky. The faot therefore is that notwithstanding the great body of the fiour falls into a receptacle provided for it, which receptacle is in chine, yet a portion of thedust passes be-v yond this receptacle and further arrangements must be made to intercept, retain and secure the passing dust. To effect this I erect upon the Verge of the first-named receptacle another Chamber communicating with the foregoing and therefore such particles of fiour as do not adhere in theV first orA lower chamber, ascend with the blast into the upper Chamber in which they to some extent accumulate until by their own weight w (so much as have adhered in the upper Chamber) they fall in a body back into the lower chamber while the remaining portion passes with the blast through an opening to which a spout -or other conveyance is appended for the purpose of conducting whatever passes out at this opening to the hopper-boy room or settling chamber, in which suitable provision is made for deadening the blast by expansion and gathering the remaining portion of fiour dust.

In Fig. 1 (a) designates the ribs of the bolting cylinder; (b) the Vertical rows of beaters on each rib and (b') the Vertical 'rows of beaters on each additional Vane (No. 2) of the blast cylinder, see Fig. 3. The colored parts between the ribs represent the bolting cloth. (o) is the sheathed cylinder or cylindrical casing. is the head of the stationary part of the machine. The

center vis perforated for the shaft of the blast cylinder and for the feed opening. The machine is operated with the cylinders in a Vertical position. (c) is the bran-fioor, and so far as it extends, forms the ceiling of the fiour-chamber, the fioor of which is seen at c (f) and is closed in by the cylinder (g) which rises up above the lowest portion of the sheathing cylinder (o) suffieiently Vto allow the construction of the air Chamber (Zc) carry ofi the bran to a suitable place.

(Z) are the openings between the flour and air chambers, up through which openings The openings (j) admit the fiour to I. the fiour-chamber. The opening and spout the air and remnant of fioating fiour or dust p has to ascend previous to their dlscharge at (m) Figs. 4 and 5, whence they pass into suitable rooms or settling chambers usually found in every fiour-mill. The flour chamber is cleared by the scraper (n) Fig. 3, there I .i

being an outlet for the flour atV (11/) Fig. 5. The bran-Chamber is cleared by the scrapers (o) Fig. 3.

In Figs. 2 and 3, (p) lis the upper and (g) the lower head of the blast cylinder. On the top of the upper head vanes (1") radiate from the shaft o-f the cylinder for the purpose of faclitating the progress of the feed, as with'- out these vanes there is a ,tendency in the blast to escape at the feed'opening. The shaft (8) of'the blast cylinder is surmounted by a driving pulley and the shaft passes down through a throat (t) which is fitted to The shaft is firmly at-V ers on each I'b of the bolting cylinder and On the Vanes (No. 2) of the blast-cylinder from top to bottom for the purpose of alter 15 nately beating the cffal at each successive rb and vane, and preparatory to each jet of blast, substantially as described.

LEWIS FAGIN.

Attest:

'II-10s. G CLINTON, S. T. LAcE,

J. W. GETZENDANNER. 

